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Top 5 Oil-Free Salad Dressing Recipes

I love oil-free salad dressing recipes. While some oils may be healthier than store bought commercial salad dressing, oil-free salad dressing can provide just as much flavor without all the fat.

There is no nutritional value in oils, and vegetable oils contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Despite all the hype, there is evidence that even olive oil is not 100% heart healthy.

Two tablespoons of olive oil have 240 calories and are more calorie dense than even pure refined sugar.

Vegetable oils can also raise your risk of cardiovascular disease because any processed oil can injure the endothelium, which is the innermost lining of the artery and the gateway to heart disease. To read more about the the paralysis of arteries from oil, please watch Dr. Michael Greger's video on Nutrition Facts.

I have told this story before, but it is worth sharing again.

In 2013 I earned my plant-based nutrition certificate, and one of my favorite lectures was run by Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

In that talk, Dr. Esselstyn told a story about one of his patients who had a quintuple bypass surgery. Following his surgery, Dr. Esselstyn put him on a very strict plant-based diet. His patient immediately went from 210 to 156 pounds.

For 14 years this patient stayed on a plant-based diet and maintained his weight and health when suddenly he began to experience a recurrence of angina. Angina is a type of chest pain caused by the narrowing of heart arteries when there is a decreased blood oxygen supply.

The patient promptly contacted Dr. Esselstyn. He assured Dr. Esselstyn that he was still on his plant-based diet. Dr. Esselstyn was baffled until his patient mentioned one thing.

Here is what Dr. Esselstyn said about it:
“The patient forgot to mention that he was consuming “heart healthy” olive oil in his salads. It was what they call a Eureka moment. Immediately, I advised him to give up the olive oil. He did, and within seven weeks his angina disappeared.”

I don't have heart disease but in the past overusing oils in salads and when sautéing vegetables was a habit of mine.

Now I rely more on fresh aromatic herbs, vinegar, and citrus juices for flavor. I sauté my vegetables in veggie broth. When I do use oil, I use it sparingly. I keep my olive oil in a small spray bottle and give my veggies a light spritz when needed.

Oil-Free Salad Dressing – Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

After awhile you don't miss the oil. You can enhance the taste of any vinaigrette recipe by flavoring it with citrus like this Lemon Poppy Seed oil-free salad dressing flavored with lemons.

Oil-Free Salad Dressing – Creamy Italian Vinaigrette

Or add a creamy texture to your salad dressing with beans, avocado or tofu instead of eggs and oil like this Creamy Italian Vinaigrette made with cannelloni beans.

And when it is time to make your salad, choose fresh in-season vegetables. Also, make sure you use a salad spinner. You want your ingredients super dry, so the dressing will stick to them better.

Last but not least, get creative with your ingredients. Add grains, seeds, or roasted vegetables for some added crunch.

I also love topping my salads and soups with baked tortilla strips. Just cut the tortillas into strips and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F or until browned and crunchy. Sprinkle them with cumin, chili powder, and lime juice before baking to add another element of flavor.

Hope you enjoy all five of these oil-free salad dressing recipes as much as I did. Don't miss any of Ordinary Vegan's recipes by signing up here. Learn more about plant-based nutrition on my podcasts here on this website or iTunes.

Thank you for posting these!! I’ve recently developed an odd smell aversion to all oils (and animal fats, and grains, so all of those are out of my diet) and though I’m not a big salad eater, I decided to test one out!

I accidentally used Northern Beans instead of Cannelloni, but that Italian dressing is the best I’ve ever had. Thank you again!
I can’t wait to have another salad!

Thank you so much for these will try them all. Have a new diet that requires no fat and sugar, I will substitute stevia for maple sugar. I am not fond of lemons but I guess I will become one now ha ha ha. Thanks again.
Boston

Is there a substitute for the Maple Syrup for diabetics. I started a plant based live food diet on March 1, 2018 and have been able to stop the insulin and I was taking 70 units a day. I have now been able to stop all oral meds for diabetes as well. These dressings will be a blessing since I’m trying SOS no Salt, Oil and Sugar.

Hi Ray – How about a little stevia in place of the maple syrup? Major congratulations on your plant-based diet and for taking back your health. You should be very proud of yourself. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. Nancy

This is so perfect! I’ve been 95% plant based for a year and a half and this year, I’ve been working towards reducing and eventually eliminating oils. Tonight I needed specifically a hummus based dressing and, voila, here it is! I’m not a balsamic fan so I used unseasoned rice vinegar instead and I didn’t have fresh ginger on hand, but I DID have an intense ginger juice (from The Ginger People) and used that as a sub. Delicious!

Thanks for the excellent creamy Italian dressing recipe. I found that adding a small amount of red wine vinegar adds a nice zing and makes the consistency a little less thick. Also, allowing the ingredients to mingle for a few days makes it go from great to fantastic. d

These are so awesome! I just made the Italian and used garbanzos (cuz I had them!) and dried Italian herbs instead of parsley (its what the pantry had to offer) and I LOVE THIS!! Thank you so much!! I cant wait to try the others!

Can’t wait to try your Lemon Poppy Seed Salad dressing as I am trying to eat oil free as well as vinegar free. No Soya /Tofu products either. Will also try the Creamy Italian one later. It all looks sooo delicious. Thank you so much.

Hi Michele – I would recommend a liquid stevia. I found this in a McDougall newsletter and according to this it is compliant. “Stevia Is a Natural, Safe, and Powerful Sweetener
There is a natural alternative for people who desire sweetness yet also choose to minimize their refined sugar intake: stevia. From the leaves of a perennial shrub found in Paraguay and Brazil comes a substance that is 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar. This stable sweetener is essentially calorie-free and non-toxic, and therefore may be the best choice if you must use a sugar substitute” I am assuming you are linking from the McDougall group. Thanks for stopping by and please come back again. Happy New Year! https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/jun/100600.pdf

Thank YOU for these 5 oil free salad dressings! I am Orthodox Christian. We fast (abstain) almost half the year from meat, fish, dairy, wine and oil. These dressings without oil and dairy will allow me to eat salads with a dressing other than lemon juice and water and sugar or herbs. God Bless you for aiding us all in caring better for our bodies and in my case, following religious traditions and still being able to enjoy salad.

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